A Response to “Mac Elitism and Snobbery”

A fellow security blogger, Michael Farnum, has posted a piece that I felt compelled to respond to. In the post he essentially complains that most of the pro-pc/anti-mac commentary he reads at Computerworld get modded down, while the pro-mac/anti-pc stuff he sees usually gets modded up.

He goes on to write:

So if you own a Mac and you think it is the best thing since sliced silicone, then more power to you. Just get off your preppy horse with a quasi-Mohawk and an earring and quit telling us PC owners that we are stupid. Sheesh…

I can help you, Michael. The problem is that just as some Mac fanboys are too rabid about loving their Macs, you’ve become too emotional as well — but in the opposite direction.

The fact is that there are extremely compelling reasons to be using a Mac instead of a PC — especially if you’re in information security. OS X is more stable, more secure (the reasons why is a separate discussion) and gives you access to UNIX power and great package management systems all from a highly usable GUI. These are the reasons people love it.

Look at Jeremiah Grossman. Look at Marty Roesch. Do you think they are silly fanboys on a bandwagon? Hell, just go to any serious security conference and see what most of the speakers are using. In the vast majority of cases it’s OS X or Linux. Most high-end security guys that I know who use Windows have to do so because of where they work, and they’re pissed about it.

There’s a reason for that.

Seriously, man, don’t be emotional about it. I agree the fanboy frenzy is annoying at times, but the reactions you’re seeing are actually powered by truth. Spend a month using OS X exclusively and see if you don’t agree.: